Traveling bag



Jan. 8 1924. 1,480,175

5. a. MERWIN TRAVELING BAG Filed Jan. 19, 1922 1, um... 9,7 mm 2 Maw? [bum/r0 6'. Mara/11v Patented Jan. 8, 1924-.

EDWARD G. MERVTIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

TRAVELING BAG.

Application filed January 19, 1922.

T 0 aZZ 20 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, Enwnrn G. MERWIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of San Francisco, county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Traveling Bag, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in traveling bags and its particular object is to provide means for opening and closing a bag of the character described that will leave a neat, smooth finish on the inside of the bag when the latter is closed. It is a well known fact that in most of the traveling bags now in use, the hinges for opening and closing the bag are arranged in such a manner that on closing the bag a large fold is formed in each end mem ber of the bag, which extends inwardly, occupying usually the upper space in the bag and leaving a pocket underneath the same which is of little use as far as carrying capacity is concerned. It is the object of my invention to eliminate this large fold and to provide means whereby two small folds are substituted for the large one and formed in such a manner as to lie flat against the outside of the end member of the bag so as to occupy a minimum amount of space and to be barred from the inside altogether. A further object of my invention is to provide suitable locking means in combination with my device so that a slight pressure on a hinge will suflice to maintain the bag in its open position. Further advantages of my device will appear as the specification proceeds.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 represents a'perspective view of the end of a traveling bag having my device attached to it, Figure 2 a vertical cross-section through the bag, showing an inside view of my device, Figure 3 an outside view of the same, Figure 4 a top plan view of one end of the bag in its unfolded condition, Figure 5 an enlarged detail view of the hinges constituting a part of my device and Figure 6 a detail view of the same hinges showing the same in its unfolded condition.

While only the preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing it will be understood that the same may be changed or modified in various ways within the scope Serial No. 530,417.

of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The traveling bag (1) illustrated in the drawing may be of any desireddesign except so far as the means for opening and closing the same are concerned. The latter comprises preferably two U-shaped' frame members (2), the backs of which run along the longitudinal top edges of the side flaps (3) of the bag in the usual manner, while the legs run downwardly to be hingedly connected by a pin (4) or in any other suitable manner.

Thus a hinge is formed at either end of the bag which will be hereinafter referred to as the main hinge. Co-operatively associated with this main hinge is an auxiliary hinge (7) comprising two hinge members (8) and (9) pivotally secured to each other at (11) and to the main hinge members (12) and 13) somewhere intermediatel of their lengths so that their end pivots and (16) are equidistant fromthe pin (4) connecting the main hingemembers. This auxiliary hinge operates in an opposite direction to that of, and in the same plane as, the main hinge, thus giving a-pantograph action to the combination. The auxiliary hingeis preferably somewhat shorter than the distance between its two end pivots (14) and (16) measured along the main hinge so that it will prevent the hinge members (12) and (13) from becoming fully alined horizontally and from going beyond the alined position, while it may be forced into an almost or entirelystraight position by a slight pressure onits central pivot so as to lock the main hinge in its open position. To facilitate the closing of the bag, a small projection or ball (17), (see Figure 4c) is secured on the hinge pin (11) so as to furnish" a convenient hold for the thumb, whenit is desired to pull the auxiliary hinge out of its locking position.

The main feature of the invention, however. is not the locking device but the co-operation of the auxiliary hinge with a. stiffener (21)- secured in the end member of the bag in controlling the folds to be formed in closing the bag. It will be readily understood that if the flexible material forming the end member of the bag, such as leather, were secured to the main hinges in such a manner as to allow the latter to open as far as indicated in Figure 6, a large bulge would be formed in the material and extend into the interior of the closed bag. To eliminate this undesirable feature I provide the stiffener in the end member which is substantially formed asindicated in Figure 2, its sides tapering slightly as at until they reach a point (24:) corresponding preferably to the height of the pins (14) and (16) when the bag is about half closed. From these points the sides taper toward each other more decidedly until they meet at a central point (26) corresponding substantially to the height of the pin (11) in the same position. It will thus be seen that in this midway position, (approached in Figures 2 or 3) the upper edges (24-26) of the stiffener run substantially parallel to the auxiliary hinge.

The flexible material forming the ends of the bag extends beyond the height of the stiffener and is secured, in any suitable mannor, to the auxiliary hinge and those portions of the main hinge going beyond the auxiliary hinge, and its margin lies substantially flat on the horizontal flanges (28) of the main hinges and the auxiliary hinge. As the bag is closed the extreme ends of the main hinge members stay substantially in their plane, but themain hinge pin drops considerably and the pins (14:) and (16) sufficiently to assume a position directly opposite the points (2a) of the stiffener while the hinge pin (11) simultaneously reaches a position opposite the top (26) of the stiffening member. VVh'ile inthis position, the flexible material between the hinge members and the stiffener is divided into two distinct portions bya line extending from the top (26) of the stiffener to the hinge pin (11) and forms two longitudinal creases clearly defined by the lines connecting the hinge pins (14) and (16) with the points (24) on the stiffener, so that at this time the flexible material is bent in distinctly defined lines into/theft! shape-formed by the auxiliary hinge in combination with the main hinge in the position approached in Figures 2 and 3.

On continuing the closing operation the pins (14:) and (16) approach .each other passing throughthe position of igure 2 until they reach the position indicated in Figure 5 and the longitudinal creases simultaneously revolve on the points (24:) of the stiffener into a transverse position, until they lie flat against the outside of the stiffener, the slightly slanting sides (25) of the latter allowing :sufficient flexible material to be carried along to prevent any bending of the stiffener, When the bag is closed altogether, the inner surface of thesame is presented as an absolutely straight and stiff wall, while the outside presents two small folds near the top and two longer folds along the sides (25) of the stiffener, all the folds lying absolutely flat against the stiffener, so that very little space is occupied by the same.

I claim:

1. A hinge for a traveling bag having means associated therewith for forming two small folds in the adjacent bag material during the closing operation and for placing the two folds flat against the end of thebag.

2. A hinge for a traveling balg having means associated therewith for forming two small folds in the adjacent bag material, during the closing operation and for placing the two folds flat against the end of the bag, said means comprising a roof-shaped stiffener in the end of the bag and an auxiliary hinge associated with the main hinge member in such a manner that during the closing operation it passes through a position substantially parallel to the top of the stiffener.

3. A hinge for a traveling baig having means associated therewith for forming two small folds in the adjacent b ag material during the closing operation and for placing the two folds flat against the end of-the bag, said means comprising a roof-shaped stif ener inthe end of the bag and an auxiliary hinge associated with the main hinge member in such a manner that duringthe closing operation it passes through a position substantially parallel to the top of the stiffener, whereby transverse creases are formed in the material defined by the bases of the auxiliary hinges and swung into a position parallel to the end of the bfl g duringthe closing operation.

4. In a bag of the character described, a stigffener secured to the bag and hinged means for opening and closingfthe bag 00- operating with the stiffener for controlling the folds to be formed during the closing operation, said hinged means comprising a main hinge and an auxiliary hinge associated therewith, the latter hinge operating in a direction opposite to that of, and in the same planeas, the main hinge and passing through a position substantially parallel to the top line of the stiffener during the closing, operation.

EDWARD Gr. MERWIN. 

